I just read through this thread, and I think it touches on lots of interesting and important things. And a lot of it is "hot button" because we all feel bad or mad about the way animals get mistreated and the sad fact of landfills being the graveyards of countless collected strays.

I once made the outrageous suggestion that Koreans be allowed to collect the animals we kill at pounds and shetlers, and ship the meat back to Korea to feed starving children. Hope you all know that buddhists don't approve of this (every life is holy), I was just trying to make people think.

The overpopulation of pets, and the overpopulation of humans, are related topics, IMHO. One thing that shelters are doing right is spaying/neutering most of their charges. I will refrain from expounding on the human problem, except to say that China's "one child per couple" idea makes sense.

Blessings to all who adopt, all who ease the suffering of other sentient creatures.